During the launch, Lexus was at pains to make sure we did not confuse this car with the Prius. The Lexus is certainly destined to be more expensive and exclusive than Toyota's popular hybrid, but it's also a fundamentally different type of car.
What's under the hood is the start of the divergence: the HS 250h gets its own version of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive hybrid system, combining a 147hp, 2.4L four-cylinder Atkinson-cycle engine with a 40hp electric motor system, together making 187hp. That gives the HS the oomph to get to 60mph in just 8.4 seconds, about 1.5 seconds quicker than the Prius.
That leads to less efficiency, of course. EPA fuel economy ratings are 35mpg city, 34mpg highway - It is not as green as Prius and Insight, but the city number blows away any other compact luxury sedan in the North American market, including the diesel BMW 335d, which is rated at 23 mpg around town and 33 mpg on the highway.
As with most hybrids, however, real-world conditions proved a bit less forgiving than the optimistic EPA ratings. We saw about 30mpg keeping with fast-moving Orange County traffic, then in a separate loop, driving the HS aggressively on a short 12-mile stretch of hilly roads, mileage dropped below 22mpg. In exceptionally gentle, controlled conditions on level roads, the HS eked out 46mpg - about the same you'd expect from the Prius in normal, with-traffic driving.
The root cause of the difference in efficiency between the Prius and HS 250h isn't just under the hood, however. At 3,682lb, the HS weighs a whopping 600lb more than the 2010 Prius and about the same as the bigger Camry Hybrid - which, by the way, can out-accelerate the HS.
All that weight comes from somewhere, and a quick perusal of the spec sheet shows a fair bit of its technology - the kind of tech that drives gadget fiends wild. In addition to LS-like high-tech features such as Intuitive Park Assist, a new heads-up display, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, front and rearview monitors, and Lane-Keep Assist, the HS 250h also adds the very slick haptic joystick control for the multimedia/navigation interface.
In addition, Lexus boasts that the HS 250h’s interior is the first vehicle to use Ecological Plastic for its upholstery. Made from plants, using a photosynthesis process, it can be reclaimed through thermal recycling, which is near-carbon-neutral. It’s just a start, but it amounts to around 30 percent of the interior and luggage trim area.
Overall, 2010 Lexus HS 250h is appealing for its well-built interior and quiet ride, which it owes to details like an acoustic windshield and triple-layer door seals. In addition to its quiet interior, it is silent outside too, so much so that some sort of motor “noise” should be added for safety sake to remind you that the vehicle is running or to let a pedestrian know the car is about to move.
The new HS 250h will no doubt appeal greatly to those who value the hybrid badge and the Lexus label above all else. It’s predicted that more than some buyers would expect in a Lexus HS.
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